Tyler Loop Earns AFC Special Teams Player of the Week After Rio Winner
Tyler Loop’s winning kick in Rio has brought a new reward: AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. The Ravens announced the honor September 30th after their second-year kicker delivered the longest field goal of his career to beat Dallas.
The 56-yarder secured Baltimore’s 34–31 victory Sunday. This recognition gives that moment a place beyond the final score, rewarding a specialist whose job often comes down to converting one opportunity with little room for error.
According to the team’s award announcement, Loop is the first Raven to win the conference’s weekly special teams award since Tylan Wallace in Week 14 of 2023. He is the first Baltimore kicker to receive it since Justin Tucker’s 66-yard field goal in September 2021.
Loop has made five of six field-goal attempts and all 11 extra points through three games. His lone missed field goal was blocked against New Orleans in Week 2. Those numbers provide the broader performance behind the award, rather than reducing his start to a single dramatic kick.
Baltimore’s account of the winning moment also describes how Loop approached the pressure. After preseason misses, he worked to reconnect with his enjoyment of football. He and the other specialists had even discussed how they might celebrate a winner before the game began.
That background helps explain the emotion afterward. The kick was his first NFL game-winner, and teammates joined him in celebrating a result that had required contributions throughout the final drive. The award recognizes the finish without making the rest of that possession disappear.
For readers catching up, PowerPage’s Rio game recap covers the full contest. Wednesday’s development is the individual recognition: Loop now has a conference honor to accompany his career-long kick, while the Ravens turn toward their next opponent. The next test is sustaining that execution when another close game puts the specialists back in the spotlight.
Comments